An Iowa man has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young woman over 20 years ago in Colorado.
Police in Dubuque, Iowa, arrested Robert McClain, 55, on a warrant for the murder of 29-year-old Rosa Arguello, who was found dead in a ditch in October 2003, The Denver Post reported.
Arguello, a member of the Hopi Tribe, a Native American community in Arizona, had been stabbed over a dozen times, according to her autopsy report.
McClain was charged with homicide. Authorities are making arrangements for him to be extradited to Thornton, Colorado, where Arguello’s body was found.
“We are grateful for our partners at Dubuque P.D. and will continue to work closely with the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to pursue justice for Rosa and her family,” Thornton Police Chief Jim Baird said in a statement.
Court records show authorities in Iowa and Colorado had been investigating the cold case together since October of last year, CBS 2 Iowa reported.
Investigators have not detailed how they tied the suspect to the case. It’s also unknown if he had a relationship with the victim before the alleged killing.
Authorities recently obtained a search warrant for McClain’s house and he was charged with possessing a firearm as a felon.
McClain has a long criminal history, including an incident in February 2014 when he was charged with attempted murder after attacking his wife.
McClain shot himself in the face during the incident, but survived, the outlet reported. He pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. It was not immediately clear when he was released from prison.
